In 2004, the Rev. Jeyapaul Joseph Palanivel was accepted by the
U.S. Diocese of Crookston in Minnesota for parish work. The arrangement
had been proposed for Jeyapaul, as the priest is usually known,
by his home diocese of Ootacamund in the state of Tamil Nadu in
southern India. Jeyapaul was in Crookston for less than a year,
but in that brief time, he is accused of sexually abusing two female
minors, is suspected of abusing at least one other girl, and is
now the subject of a police investigation and a civil suit. Jeyapaul
is also accused of taking money from the Crookston diocese.

Crookston bishop Victor Balke wrote repeatedly to the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith, urging it to take the Jeyapaul case,
and even appealed to the dicastery in person. Yet as of April 5,
2010, over five years after he allegedly committed the crimes, Jeyapaul
is a senior official in the Diocese of Ootacamund, with the schools
as one of his portfolios, and the CDF has ignored the case.

This page provides documents that were obtained by counsel for
the plaintiff in the civil suit, Jane Doe 121 v. the Diocese of
Crookston. At a time when the role of the Vatican bureaucracy in
abuse cases is coming under increased scrutiny, the Jeyapaul documents
show the Vatican allowing a priest to remain in ministry, though
the CDF has long possessed strong evidence that he is credibly accused.
At a time when foreign priests are being used to patch a U.S. priest
shortage, the Jeyapaul documents cast doubt on the formation of
such priests, and on the system's ability to monitor and discipline
them effectively.

FIRST LETTER TO CDF - Bishop Balke
wrote to Cardinal William Levada, the head of the Vatican's Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith. Balke wrote that Jeyapaul took a sixteen
year old girl to his rectory in the Diocese of Crookston and "kissed
her repeatedly, pulling her on top of him and at one point touching
her beneath her clothing .... there were other incidents of similar
behavior between Fr. Jeyapaul and [the sixteen year old girl]."
The abuse happened between 2004 and 2005. Bishop Balke also stated
that "because of the recent date of the alleged misconduct, it
is impossible to say that Father Jeyapaul does not at present pose
a risk to minors." Balke also asked the CDF to take the matter
and penalize Jeyapaul as it sees fit. (Ex. 60)

5 Months After Bishop Balke's Letter to the
CDF

5/18/06

Archbishop Angelo Amato, secretary at the CDF, wrote
back to Bishop Balke that the CDF had gotten the information on
Jeyapaul. The CDF stated that it examined the situation and communicated
the facts to Jeyapaul's Bishop "with the request that Father
Jeyapaul's priestly life be monitored so that he does not constitute
a risk to minors and does not create scandal."

SECOND LETTER TO CDF - Bishop Balke wrote to Cardinal
Levada, the Vatican's head of the CDF, that
Jeyapaul had been accused of sexually molesting a second girl.
In the letter Balke told Levada that the allegations were that "Fr.
Jeyapaul had 'rubbed up against her' in the rectory at Middle River,
in the confessional at Middle River, and then fondled her breasts,
exposed himself to her, and forced his penis into her mouth."
Balke wrote that "it is impossible to say that Father Jeyapaul
does not at present pose a risk to minors." Balke wrote that
due to this second allegation possibly a more severe penalty was necessitated.

11/2006

MEETING WITH CDF - Bishop Balke met with the Congregation
for the Doctrine of the Faith to present the file on Father Jeyapaul.

12/21/06

THIRD LETTER TO CDF - Bishop Balke wrote to Cardinal
Levada and stated that law
enforcement was going to pursue extradition of Father Jeyapaul
in light of the most recent allegations. Balke asked for information
about Jeyapaul's whereabouts and also for a speedy resolution.

12/28/06

The Vatican's apostolic nuncio wrote to Bishop Balke that Jeyapaul's
current residence was at St. Joseph's church in Kalhatti, India.
The nuncio's enclosure
shows that he had corresponded about the Jeyapaul case with the then-apostolic
nuncio of India, Archbishop Pedro López Quintana, now the nuncio
in Canada